The "AREAL" linear accelerator was inaugurated today at the CANDLE
(Center for the Advancement of Natural Discoveries using Light
Emission) Synchrotron Research Institute in Yerevan.

The modern accelerator is an exceptional and huge wealth, CANDLE's
Executive Director Vasily Tsakanov and President of the State
Committee on Science Samvel Harutyunyan said at the opening ceremony.

They informed that Armenia will become a member of Europe's
accelerator network in the near future, which means we'll enter the
European scientific space and part of the European programs will be
worked out in Armenia.

The CANDLE international research center was established in Armenia in
line with the government decision adopted in 2008.

The AREAL project is the first phase of CANDLE synchrotron light
source creation in Armenia. Speaking about the successful completion
of the first phase, Vasily Tsakanov noted that "Armenia has built a
modern accelerator, which is unprecedented not only in the region."

The construction of the accelerator became possible thanks to the
state-of-the art technologies provided Germany and Switzerland.

The total cost of the project is estimated at 20 mln euros. Armenia
has spent just 320-350 mln AMD, the rest of the expenses have been
covered by European partners.